IPL: Rajasthan Royals' best playing XI of 2010s ft. Steve Smith and Ajinkya Rahane

The first-ever champions of the Indian Premier League, Rajasthan Royals, have had a rough ride in the tournament since their famous 2008 win. RR kept fading into oblivion and made its next playoffs appearance only in 2013. Since 2008, RR has not been able to replicate its success but has tried very hard. As the team goes into the 2020 IPL Auction, let us take a look at the best playing XI from the 2010s Rajasthan Royals squads.

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RR's best decade XI

1. Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper)

The flashy English opener made his debut for the Royals in 2018 and in only two seasons, established himself as one of their most important players. Buttler has scored 859 runs for the Royals in 21 matches.

2. Shane Watson

The Australian legend revived his playing career through the Royals and remained a very integral part of the team in the first hald of the 2010s. He scored 1208 runs for them from 2010-2015 before he moved to RCB in 2016 and has been at CSK since 2018.

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3. Steven Smith (Captain)

Smith's rise in the international circuit almost went in parallel with his growth in the IPL. The current skipper of RR has scored 759 runs for them since his arrival in 2014.

4. Rahul Dravid

The legendary Indian batsman led the Royals to the playoffs of the 2013 edition and the final of CLT20 2013. In his stint with the team from 2011-2013, Dravid scored 1324 runs.

5. Ajinkya Rahane

The Indian Test vice-captain made a name for himself with his fantastic performance in IPL 2012. He even went on to lead the team on numerous occasions. He is the Royals' highest-ever run-scorer with 3098 runs.

6. Sanju Samson

The Kerala batsman became a rising star through his game for the Royals in 2013. Over the years, he established himself as a vital player for the team. He has scored 1724 runs for the team in the 2010s.

7. Stuart Binny

The all-rounder was one of the most consistent figures in the Royals lineup over the years. He has scored 812 runs for the team along with 18 wickets.

8. Shreyas Gopal

One of their better all-rounders in the later decade, Gopal has taken 31 wickets for the team since 2018. He has also scored 113 runs.

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9. Siddharth Trivedi

The Indian pacer was one of the Royals' most consistent bowlers in the earlier decade and took 46 wickets for them in the 2010s, before leaving the team in 2013.

10. James Faulkner

The Australian performed very consistently for the Royals after arriving in Jaipur during the 2014 season. Faulkner took 53 wickets in his three seasons with the team.

11. Pravin Tambe

The veteran Indian spinner was picked up by the Royals at the age of 41 in 2013. Tambe impressed everyone and took 35 wickets for the team in his three-year stint with them.

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